


Back to reality oops there goes gravity

by fazcinatingreads



Category: AFL - Fandom, Football - Fandom, nathan buckley - Fandom, rumours - Fandom, trade period
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27450223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fazcinatingreads/pseuds/fazcinatingreads
Summary: Nathan Buckley heads home after isolating in Queensland for a month following that disastrous semi final.





	Back to reality oops there goes gravity

Nathan Buckley stepped out of the cave he'd been hiding in since that belting from Geelong in the semi final a month ago. Was everyone still mocking Collingwood? Had things settled down? Was the town of Geelong celebrating their 10th premiership? 

Bucks looked around at the beach and rocks of the coast of Queensland, the most secluded part he'd found. There was no one for miles. He'd only brought enough tinned baked beans to last him a month so he either had to find more food in the surrounding forest or head home. He really missed Tania and the kids. They knew he was still in Queensland, but they assumed he was partying with Eddie every night.

Bucks stroked his scraggly beard, which now was so long that it nearly touched his chest hair. He grimaced. He'll have to find a shaver before he got home to Tania. She'll freak out.

He walked along the beach, kicking at the sand, and made it back to the streets of civilisation. Cars sped by and pedestrians lazed about in the sun or strolled through the main street of Coolangatta. Bucks hailed a taxi and jumped in. 

"Airport, please," Bucks told the driver, buckling himself in and placing his backpack on the seat next to him.

The driver keyed in airport on his GPS and they took off, speeding down the street faster than Bucks thought it was wise to go. He wasn't in a hurry as he hadn't booked any flight yet. He looked on his phone to see if there were any flights to Melbourne today and was relieved to see there was. 

As he booked a seat on the flight in 2 hours, he leaned back and thought about what he'd find upon returning to Melbourne. Would it be a barren wasteland? Would it look like a scene from that book series he quite enjoyed... what was it called... with the boy from Teen Wolf. The Scorch Trials! Scavengers everywhere, running from one shelter to another. Having to journey across a desert and risk getting struck by lightning. That book scared him senseless, but his sons loved it. They all watched the Maze Runner together, but there was no way Bucks was watching the next two movies in front of his adoring sons. He didn't want them to see him scared and crying.

At the airport, Bucks checked in for his flight and they put him through a multitude of covid19 testing. He just wanted to tell them that he'd been isolating in a cave for months but it was the protocol and if they must shove a stick up his nose a hundred times then so be it. Also he was only going to Victoria. Surely every Victorian was infected by now anyway. He hoped that his players were okay. Bucks prayed for them as he waited for his flight, starting with his favourites like Jeremy Howe and Adam Treloar, and then the rest of them in order of their number. He'd just gotten to number 24 when his flight was called. He headed onto the plane.

....

It was freezing when they touched down in Melbourne and Bucks waited in line for a taxi after receiving his bag from the carousel. He must admit, people were much better at the baggage carousels since covid19. No crowding, no standing right up close, no pushing. It was nice. Maybe this pandemic was a good thing.

Bucks was about 12th in line for a taxi, but when a taxi pulled up and the driver saw him, his order in the queue didn't matter. The taxi driver yelled his name and opened the front door for him.  
"Thank you," Bucks said, politely, stepping into the car and placing his bag by his feet.

"You're welcome, sir," the taxi driver said, grinning from ear to ear.

For the entire car trip to Toorak, the driver gushed and babbled over how amazing he was. The driver was a Collingwood supporter and absolutely adored him. Bucks was pleased, glad that he wasn't despised by the magpie army and forced to resign after that woeful performance in the semi final. Bucks didn't ask any questions about what's been happening in the news, and was content to listen to the driver's monologue.

When they arrived at Bucks' mansion, he paid the driver with an excessive tip, and headed up the hill to the gate. Bucks unlocked the gate and let himself in, walked over the bridge that went over the moat, and headed past the statues of himself that lined the path to his house. He opened the door, and entered. It was quiet.

"Tania? Ayce? Jett?" he called, dumping his bag on the floor.

He heard footsteps running, and his boys launched at him from both sides, screaming "Daddy!!!! Daddy's home!!!!" Bucks grinned, patting them both on the head, and peeling himself away to kiss Tania who was leaning against the doorframe to the living room.  
"It's so good to be back," Bucks said, hugging Tania, with Jett and Ayce hanging onto his legs. "What have I missed?"

Tania sighed. "You probably don't want to know," she said, hugging him back. "Just don't read the newspaper."

Bucks tensed. "Are they still discussing how bad we were in the semi final?" Bucks asked, horrified. "Oh god, you'd think they'd find something else to talk abou---"

"What?" Tania asked, confused. "No, it's much much worse."

Bucks checked his phone for the first time in a month. He had thousands of twitter notifications and heaps of missed calls, most of them from Adam Treloar. 

He called Adam straight away.

"Hi Ads," Bucks said, when Adam picked up.

Adam was frantic. "Bucks, where have you been? You have no idea what the media are writing about me!" he exclaimed.

Bucks panicked, but listened to Adam cry and let it all out, before he said soothingly, "It'll be okay, Ads. Everything will be okay."


End file.
